Sheet folding machine with several folding devices



.- F. H. KARNAHL Nov. l0, 1959 EVERAL FOLDING DEVICES Filed July 9, 19563 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1959 F. H. KARNAHL SHEET FOLDING MACHINE WITHSEVERAL FOLDING DEVICES Filed Jly 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 10, 1959F. H. KARNAHL 2,912,238

SHEET FOLDING MACHINE WITH SEVERAL FOLD-ING DEVICES Filed July 9, 195ey5 sheets-sheet s 2,912,238 Patented Nov. 1.0, 1959v se ice SHEET FOLDINGMACHINE WITH SEVERAL FOLDING DEVICES Friedrich Herbert Karnahl, Hamburg,Germany, assignor to Carl Kruse, Hamburg, Germany Application July 9,1956, Serial No. 596,795

'10 Claims. (Cl. 27o- 81) The invention relates to a sheet foldingmachine with several folding devices following one after another. Theknown folding machines of this kind always have supplementary endlesstape guides, feed rolls or the like for feeding the sheet to the limitstop .of the later folding devices or they make use of the fallingweight of the piece to be folded by suitably arranging the foldingdevices above each other whereby, however, supplementary, intricate andmobile guiding means for the sheets are necessary, which hinder thefolding blade of the following folding device and which make its wayundesirably long. In case of Vcrossfolding with several sheet foldingdevices arranged below each other the folding blades of the followingblade folding devices are arranged generally in the middle of thelargest folding range, so that in case of modification of the size ofthe sheet the adjustment of the final abutment of the previous foldingdevice has always to be effected from the middle of the folding deviceranges. Small sheets can therefore only be folded on these foldingmachines with the same work speed as large sheets. Besides adjustmentsof the limits stops for the sheets are difficult and call for particularskill and experience. The construction of the folding machine becomesthus intricate and expensive, whereby the space required for the machineis undesirably large. As far as the work is effected starting from anunadjustable limit stop of the following folding device, the foldingmachine is not suitable for sheets of different sizes, or otherwisetheeffect of the machine will be just the samewith small sheets Vfolded aswith larger sheets to be folded. It is the object of the invention toovercome these disadvantages and to provide a simplified folding machinewith versatile possible uses, facilitated manipulation and decreasedspace required, and further to increase the work speed when smallersheets have to be folded. This is obtained by arranging a sheet foldingmachine with several folding devices following one after anothercomprising a preceding folding device with folding cylinders and afeeding device, which may be a pair of cylinders of a preceding foldingdevice, and a rst blade folding device in cooperative connection withand directly disposed behind the preceding feeding device. The bladefolding device consists of stationary pairs of parallel guide rods forthe sheets to be folded and at least two stationary lateral supportingrods extending altogether parallel to the feeding direction of thesheets, a pair of parallel folding cylinders disposed in the feedingdirection of the sheets and an end limit stop for the sheets to `befolded adjustably disposed on said lateral supporting rods to beadjusted over the whole range of the first folding device. The feedmovement of the sheets into the first folding device is actuated only bythe feeding device, e.g. the folding cylinders of a preceding foldingdevice. Solely for preventing rebounding of the sheets to be folded inthe blade folding device, braking means for the sheets are provided.Preferably, the limit stop of the last folding device in the series andan end wall of a following folded sheet piling bin behind `this lastfolding device form a unit and are simultaneously adjustable. In thefurther course of the invention, the second blade folding device,disposed directly after the rst blade folding device, is arranged insuch a way that it can be selectively shifted longitudinally of thefirst blade folding device and alternatively shifted in or out ofoperation; the folding blade of the second folding device beingadjustably driven and its back part serving as an injector for thesheets coming out of the first folding device when the second bladefolding device is disengaged. Other and further objects, features andadvantages of the invention will be explained hereinafter, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, and appear in the appendedclaims forming part of the application.

In the drawings some examples of execution of the object of theinvention are schematically shown.

Fig. 1 isa perspective view of an embodiment of the sheet foldingmachine with folding cylinders of a preceding folding device and twoblade folding devices,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the foldingmachine with folding cylinders of a preceding folding device and adisengageable second blade folding device, and

Figure 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the machineshown in Figure 2 in the direction of the axes of rollers 3 and 4. I

1 is the stationary frame of the folding machine, which may be incooperating connection with a preceding envelope folding device. Thework piece in form of a sheet or of a sheet provided with a pocketorblade-crease is fed to the blade folding device by the folding cylinders2 of the preceding folding or feeding device. The blade folding deviceconsists of the two blade folding cylinders 3 and 4 arranged with theiraxes alined in the feed direction of the sheet and a folding blade 5movable up and down and mounted parallel to the cylinders 3 and 4. Inorder to avoid the rebounding of the sheets there are provided, on bothsides of the folding blade cylinders 3 and 4 transverse cylinders 6 eachof which cooperate with counter pressure means freely movable in ringsor cages 7. The said counter pressure means have the form of balls 8.Behind the counter pressure means there are are arranged parallel guides9 and 16 for guiding the sheets in sheet feed direction. The upper guiderods 10 carry the cage, rings or yokes 7 for the ballsy 8. The cylinders6 are arranged in the mutual axial alinement and they may consist ofseveral short cylinders, rollers, disks or the like. At both sides ofthe blade folding cylinders .3 and 4 there is furthermore arrangedrectangularly to them a common limit stop 11 which is adjustable overthe Whole range of this blade folding device. The limit stop 11 has theform of a rail, a piece of sheet metal or the like and is guided on twolateral stationary supporting rod 12, 13 disposed parallel to each otherand to said guide rods 9, 10 and can be fixed on these supporting rodsby means of clamping screws 14 after it has been suitably adjusted. Thesheet guide rods 9 and 10 extend through suitable recesses 1S of thelimit stop rail 11. Underneath this first blade folding device 1 to 15there is arranged on a slide-shaped support 16 a second blade foldingdevice with a sheet feed direction rectangular to the feed direction ofthe first blade folding device. The second folding device is analogousto the first blade folding device with folding cylinders 17, 18, afolding blade 19, cylinders 20, balls 21 as counterpressure means incages, rings and yokes 22, sheet guide rods 23, 24, a rail-shaped limitstop 25, supporting rods 26, 27 and clamping screws 28. All these partsare arranged in and on the slide shaped support 16. The slide-shapedsupport 16 is adjustably arranged in guides` 29 of the frame 1 and canbe adjusted transversely to" the longitudinal direction ofthe foldingcylinders 17, 18

3 by a threaded spindle with crank handle 31. The stop 25 at the sametime forms a unit with an end Wall 32 for the pile of the folded sheetsarranged underneath it. The said stop 25 and said wall 32 are arrangedmovably over the whole pile table 33 having a stationary closing endwall 34. Here the entirely folded work pieces in the form of the sheetsfolded several times can be stored in a pile. With both blade foldingdevices acting one after the other on the same sheet, the foldingprocedure begins always at the same point, while the limit stop for thesheet to be folded according to the length of the same can be adjustedin the feed direction over the whole range of the blade folding device.For smaller, respectively shorter work pieces the feed stroke of thework pieces is correspondingly shortened, so that the folding machinecan work quicker with small work pieces, which causes an increasedoutput. Below the blade folding cylinders 3, 4 of the first bladefolding device there is suitably arranged a further pair of rollers 35,

so that the work pieces have to pass through a certain 'f distance whenleaving the first blade folding device, before they come into the secondblade folding device (Fig. l). it is also possible to arrange severalpairs of cylinders or guide rods, or guide plates to provide a bowshaped way for the sheets between the blade folding cylinders 3, 4 ofthe first blade folding device and the folding cylinders f7, 18 of thesecond blade folding device.

In Fig. 2 the corresponding parts of the folding cylinders of thepreceding feeding device and the first blade folding devices of thefolding machine are designated with the same reference numerals as inFig. 1. The second blade folding device, arranged as a disengageableblade folding device, comprises the folding blade 36 and theappertaining folding cylinders 37, 38. The back 39 of the folding blade36 is designed to serve as an ejector for the sheets emanating from thefirst folding device when the second folding device is disengaged. Thefolding blade 36 is arranged on a guide and drive device which consistsof a xed part 41 and a mobile part 40 which can be reciprocably movedtoward and away from the cylinders 37, 38 and which bears the foldingblade 36. On this mobile part there is also fixed a horizontal rail 43by means of screws 44, said rail being provided with longitudinal slots42. On the rail 43 there are arranged, parallel to the folding blade 36,auxiliary rails 45, which can be adjusted in their distance from thefolding blade 36. The auxiliary rails 45 are used to aid the ejectingoperation of the back 39 of the blade 36 for the sheets fed out of thefirst folding device when the second folding device is disengaged.

The auxiliary rails 45 bear with a rectangular end shank 46 against theslotted rail 43 and with a bent short nose or rim portion 47 against thelongitudinal edge of the rail 43 and they are removably connected bythreaded bolts and knurled nuts 49 penetrating through the slots 42.After the loosening of the knurled nuts 49 the screws with the auxiliaryrails 45 can be adjusted in the slotted rail 43 in its distance from thefolding blade 36.

Guide rods 46 are arranged parallel to the cylinder 37, 38 and a paperstop 51 for the sheet to be folded is arranged rectangularly to thecylinders 37, 38.

The mobile part 40 bearing the folding blade 36 of the third foldingdevice is driven through pins or rollers 53 by a bell crank lever 55pivotally mounted at 54 having slots or longitudinal holes 56 in theparallel shanks of it for engagement with said pins or rollers 53.Another shank 57 of this beil crank lever 55 bears by means of a roller58 on an eccentric 59 or an adjacent eccentric 60 under the influence ofa spring 62 acting upon one of the pins 53. The eccentrics 59, 69 are indriving connection with the shaft 6l but arranged axially adjustable foralternately engaging said roller 58 at the shank 57 of said crank lever55. The driving eccentrics 59 and 6i) have different peripheries withtheir largest curved radiuses in opposite directions so that byengagement of the eccentric y59 with the roller `58 the folding blade'36 of the second folding device is moved from the position far awayfrom the appertaining folding cylinders 37, 38 towards them in order toexecute the folding process. If the other eccentric 6i) is brought inengagement with the roller 58, the folding blade 36 is given anoppositely phased motion with a greater range of movement so that theback 39 of the folding blade 36 together with auxiliary rails 45operates as an ejector for the folded sheets or folded pieces coming outof the second folding device. The folded sheets are then ejected towardsthe front side of the folding machine, while, if the blade 36 of thethird folding device is actuated by the eccentric 59, the sheets leavethe folding machine at its back with an additional fold. For all of thefolding devices the feed of the sheets from one folding device to thenext following device is only effected by means of the folding cylindersof the preceding device Without making use of any supplementary feedingmeans such as cylinders, rollers, ribbons, brushes, or the like.

l claim:

1. A sheet folding machine for successively folding a sheet of materialpassing therethrough having a plurality of folding devices following oneafter another including a preceding feeding device, a first bladefolding device and a second blade folding device in cooperativedisposition; said first folding device comprising a pair of parallelfolding cylinders and a folding blade all mounted with their axesoriented in the direction of sheet passage through said precedingfeeding device, a plurality of supporting rods disposed parallel to saidparallel cylinders and coextensive therewith, an end limit stop memberlongitudinally slidably supported on said supporting rods transverse tosaid cylinders, said limit stop member slidably adjustable on saidsupporting rods through the whole length of said parallel cylinders;said second folding device comprising a pair of parallel foldingcylinders disposed beneath and adjacent said first folding device withtheir axes oriented transverse to the axes of the cylinders of saidfirst folding device, a folding blade in cooperative disposition withsaid cylinders, guide means disposed to receive sheets emanating fromsaid first blade folding device and to guide said sheets along andadjacent said second pair of folding cylinders between said cylindersand their cooperating folding blade, said second blade folding devicemounted on slide support means for adjustably positioning said secondfolding device longitudinally of said subsequent folding device.

2. A sheet folding machine as in claim l and wherein said second foldingdevice includes a plurality of supporting rods disposed parallel to saidcylinders of said second folding device and co-extensive therewith, asecond end limit stop member adjacent and transverse to said cylindersof said second folding device adjustahly supported on said supportingrods for adjustment longitudinally of said cylinders of said secondfolding device over substantially the full length thereof; a pilestorage device disposed below said second blade folding device, saidpile storage device comprising a sheet pile table having a stationaryclosing end wall and an oppositely disposed adjustable end wall abovesaid pile table, said adjustable end wall being rigidly connected withsaid second end limit stop member of said second blade folding device.

3. A sheet folding machine for successively folding a sheet of materialpassing therethrough having a plurality of folding devices foliowing oneafter another including a preceding feeding device, a first bladefolding device and a second blade folding device in cooperativedisposition; said first folding device comprising a pair of parallelfolding cylinders and a folding blade all mounted with their axesoriented in the direction of sheet passage through said precedingfeeding device, one end of said parallel cylinders disposed adjacentsaid preceding folding device whereby sheets to be folded pass from saidpreceding folding device immediately into said first folding device,stationary guide means for receiving and guiding sheets to be foldedinto said first blade folding device, a plurality of supporting rodsdisposed parallel to said parallel cylinders and co-extensive therewith,an end limit stop member longitudinally slidably supported on saidsupporting rods extending transversely of said cylinders, said limitstop member slidably adjustable on said supporting rods throughsubstantially the whole length of said parallel cylinders, saidpreceding feeding device, said parallel rollers and said stationaryguide rods comprising the sole means of effecting movement of sheets tobe folded into said subsequent folding device; said second foldingdevice comprising a pair of parallel folding cylinders and a cooperatingfolding blade all mounted beneath and adjacent said blade folding deviceand disposed with the axes of said cylinders oriented transverse to theaxes of the cylinders of said first folding device, further pairs ofstationary guide rods disposed to receive sheets emanating from saidfirst blade folding device and to guide the sheets along and adjacentsaid second pair of folding cylinders between said cylinders and theircooperating folding blade, a further plurality of stationary supportingrods disposed parallel to said second pair of parallel cylinders andco-extensive therewith, a second limit stop member longitudinallysupported on said second supporting rod and intersecting said furtherpairs of stationary guide rods; said second blade folding device mountedon slide support means adjustably positionable longitudinally of saidfirst folding means.

4. A sheet folding machine for successively folding a sheet of materialpassing therethrough having a plurality of folding devices following oneafter another including a first folding device including a pair offolding cylinders, guide means for receiving and supporting a sheet ofmaterial adjacent said pair of cylinders of said first folding device, aplurality of stationary supporting rods disposed parallel to said pairof cylinders, an end limit stop member longitudinally slidably supportedon said supporting rods and intersecting said guide means, said limitstop member slidably adjustable on said supporting rods oversubstantially the whole length of said parallel cylinders, a secondfolding device comprising a pair of parallel folding cylinders and acooperating folding blade mounted adjacent said first folding devicewherein the axes of said cylinders and said folding blade of said secondfolding device are oriented transverse to the axes of said cylinders ofsaid first folding device, further guide means for receiving and guidingsheets emanating from said first pair of folding cylinders along andadjacent said second pair of folding cylinders, support means adjustablein a direction parallel to the axes of said cylinders of said firstfolding device, said second folding device mounted on said supportmeans, whereby said end limit stop member and said second folding devicemay be selectively positioned longitudinally of said first foldingdevice.

5. A sheet folding machine having a plurality of folding devicesfollowing one after another for successively folding a sheet of materialpassing therethrough including a first folding device including a firstpair of folding cylinders, guide means for receiving and supporting asheet of material in said first folding device, an adjustable end stopmember adjustably mounted adjacent said first pair of cylinders andadjustable over substantially the full length of said cylinders, asecond folding device including a second pair of parallel foldingcylinders and a cooperating folding blade mounted adjacent said firstblade folding device, said second pair of parallel folding-cylindersmounted with one end adjacent said first pair of folding cylinders andwith the axes of said second pair of folding cylinders transverse to theaxes of said first pair of folding cylinders, further guide means `forreceiving and guiding sheets emanating from said first pair of foldingcylinders to said second pair vof folding cylinders, first support meansadjustably mounted for selective positioning in a direction parallel tothe axes of said'first pair of folding cylinders, said second foldingdevice mounted on said first support means whereby said second foldingdevice may be selectively positioned longitudinally of said firstfolding device. j

6. A sheet folding machine as in claim 5 and-including second supportmeans on said lirst support means for supporting the folding blade ofsaid second folding device for adjustment in a direction toward and awayfrom said cylinders of said second folding device transverse to the axesof said first pair of cylinders whereby a sheet passing through saidmachine may be selectively passed through said second folding ydevice orbypassed around said second folding device by transverse adjustment ofsaid folding blade, said folding blade having a back part for use as anejector of sheets bypassing said second folding device.

7. A sheet folding machine as in claim 6 and including cam operateddrive means for reciprocating said folding blade of said second foldingdevice transversely of said first pair of folding cylinders.

8. A sheet folding machine as in claim 7 and wherein said cam operateddrive means includes a rotatable driving shaft, two cam discs mounted onsaid driving shaft in spaced relation to each other, said cam discsbeing axially adjustably secured to said driving shaft in drivingconnection therewith and movement transmission means in drivingconnection with said second support means including a cam followerdisposed adjacent said cams, said cams being alternatively engageablewith said cam follower upon selective axial positioning of. said cams,one of said cams designed to position and reciprocate said folding bladefor passing sheets to be folded through said second folding device andthe other of said cams designed to position and reciprocate said foldingblade for ejecting sheets emanating from said first folding devicebypassing said second folding device.

9. A sheet folding-machine for successively folding a sheet of materialpassing therethrough comprising,y in combination; a preceding feedingdevice; a first folding device including a pair of parallel foldingcylinders, and an end stop member adjustably mounted adjacent saidcylinders and adjustable over substantially the full length of saidcylinders; a second folding device including a pair of parallel foldingcylinders mounted beneath and adjacent said first folding devicedisposed 'with their axes oriented transverse to the axes of thecylinders of said first folding device; and means to guide sheetsemanating from said first folding device into said second foldingdevice; said second folding device being adjustably mounted forselectively positioning in a direction parallel to the axes of saidcylinders of said first folding device.

l0. A sheet folding machine as in claim 9 and wherein said first andsecond folding devices are mounted in 1a common machine casing, andincluding a movable support device adjustably mounted in said machinecasing for selective positioning in a direction parallel to the axes ofsaid cylinders of said first folding device, and Wherein said secondfolding device is supported on said support device whereby said secondfolding device may be selectively positioned in a direction parallel tothe axes of said cylinders of said first folding device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

